Government Affairs

The Columbia Chamber of Commerce is active in government at the local, state and federal levels. In times of tough budgets, the Chamber has been able to get funding for certain items that help our members conduct their businesses. The Chamber is dedicated to making sure laws passed do not negatively affect our members or the Columbia business community. Our mission is to make Columbia an even better place to live, learn, work and play.

Government Affairs Documents

2020 Legislative Agenda Booklet

2021 Local Agenda Card

Government Affairs News

Update on New Financial Relief & Wayfair

Federal Stimulus This week, with less than 100 days into President Joe Biden’s administration, Congress delivered on his 628-page, $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. Non-business specific provisions included $350 billion in direct stimulus to cities and states, $170 billion for K-12 schools, $25 billion in rental assistance, and $100 billion for public health efforts – … Continued

2021 Legislative Session Update

The 2021 legislative session is in full swing after a rough first month in which each chamber battled COVID-19 outbreaks among staff and legislators alike. While that challenge is ongoing, the House and Senate have managed to continue their work. As always, all eyes are on the budget. Governor Parson’s proposed budget addresses many of … Continued

New COVID-19 Relief Package Breakdown

*This blog post was originally posted on December 22, 2020. It was updated on January 4, 2021. After eight months, Congressional leadership secured a deal for another COVID-19 relief package, as well as come to an agreement on annual defense funding and an overarching budget to fund the federal government through September 2021. The $900 … Continued

Rocheport Bridge & COVID-19 Liability

It has been a busy week for the State of Missouri. On Monday, MoDOT announced a formal timeline for the construction and completion of a new Rocheport Bridge on I-70. According to their release, construction will begin during the winter of 2021, with hopes of opening the new bridge to traffic by the summer of … Continued

Cast Your Vote: Election Day is Near!

Guest blog by Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon The November 3rd General Election is almost here! 2020 has been an unusual year in so many ways and elections have not been immune from the challenges posed by the national pandemic. As we’ve navigated through a rescheduled municipal election in June and an August primary election … Continued

Special Session Ends. Possibility of Another.

Almost a month ago, the Chamber reported on the Special Session called by Governor Mike Parson to address “violent crime” had taken yet another turn when the Missouri House of Representatives divided his six proposals into six separate bills. See our previous update for a detailed explanation of said six proposals. Although this process seemingly … Continued

Special Session Takes Special Time

On Monday, July 27th, the Missouri General Assembly gaveled in a Special Session called by Governor Mike Parson to address ‘violent crime.’ Although substantive work did not begin until after the August 4th Primary Election, the state Senate managed to pass the Governor’s reform package as an all-encompassing omnibus bill, Senate Bill 1. Meanwhile, the … Continued

Medicaid Expansion Passed

On Tuesday, August 4th Missouri became the 38th state to vote in favor of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. This effort, endorsed by the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, will make all adults in the state ages 19 to 65 whose income is 133% of the federal poverty level or below eligible for Medicaid … Continued

Special Sessions & Violent Crime

A couple of weeks ago, Governor Mike Parson announced he would call a special session of the Missouri General Assembly to convene on Monday, July 27th, to address ‘violent crime.’ The legislative priorities of this particular special session include six public safety-related issues meant to curb violent crime across Missouri. One proposal by the Governor’s … Continued

YesOn2: The Columbia Chamber of Commerce endorses Missouri Medicaid expansion

On Thursday, July 23, 2020, during a routine meeting, the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors unanimously voted to endorse Medicaid expansion in Missouri. The Chamber has previously endorsed Medicaid expansion within its 2014 Legislative Agenda. The board’s decision came from numerous factors including independent studies. States that have already enacted expansion have projected … Continued

What does the U.S. Census do?

The 2020 Census will be here before we know it. Its results will impact our community in a variety of ways. The census is conducted every ten years. The census is used to get a broader sense of the population in general. This information then is used to calculate the number of seats that each … Continued

Lunch with a Leader: Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe

Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe joined the Columbia Chamber of Commerce at The State Historical Society of Missouri for the November installment of our Lunch with a Leader series. Lunch with a Leader is a chance for our community to get face to face with our civic leaders, an opportunity that can be rare with our overhauled … Continued